UPDATE: Yoga studio owner dies in fire while trying to save guest

Published 8:00 pm, Monday, May 25, 2009

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UPDATE: Yoga studio owner dies in fire while trying to save guest

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By STEVE KOBAK

Times Staff Writer

NORWALK -- A newlywed, 39-year-old yoga instructor died early Tuesday morning while trying to save her house guest from a raging fire that killed two people and injured one in a second floor apartment at 13 Burwell St.

Melanie Weeks Sammarco, who owned Jyoti Yoga and Wellness in Stamford, escaped the 3 a.m. blaze with her husband Mattia Sammarco but decided to rush back into the burning building when she discovered her guest had not made it out, fire officials said.

"The world lost a wonderful person today, someone who was irreplaceable," said Sandra Schuyler, Sammarco's longtime friend. "She was always helping people."

The house guest, whose name has not yet been released, also perished in the fire. Mattia Sammarco is currently being treated for severe burns at Bridgeport Hospital.

Fire officials say they responded to the two family home on Burwell St. for a brush fire call but the fire was much larger than reported.

When emergency crews arrived on the scene, they saw flames shooting up into the air from the back deck and fire engulfing the second floor of the home, according to police reports.

Four people who resided on the first floor were outside of the home and they told firefighters that some of the second floor residents were still inside, fire officials said.

Firefighters were also informed that Mattia Sammarco had escaped the blaze through an exterior stairwell and his clothing was on fire as he ran to safety. Melanie Sammarco and a guest were still inside the burning house, fire crews were told.

Firefighters rescued the house guest while battling the blaze but were unable to locate Melanie Sammarco -- who may have been trapped in the house by flames and smoke, according to fire officials. The house guest died from his injuries, fire officials said.

A few errant sparks from a discarded cigarette sparked the late night blaze, according to Fire Chief Denis McCarthy. The Fire Marshall's Office is still investigating the fire.

Neighbors said they were awakened by the smell of smoke and the sound of a woman screaming while firefighters fought the blaze.

"I keep hearing the screaming in my head," said Christine Belcher, who lives two houses away from the site of the blaze "I kept hearing it last night. It was devastating."

Belcher, who lives at 15 Burwell St., said a heavy scent of smoke wafted into her window and she thought her home was on fire. Belcher said she was about to kick in her roommate's door to wake her up and get her out of the house when she saw fire trucks parked in front of her neighbor's home.

"They got over here really quick," she said.

Melanie and Mattia Sammarco married about one month ago and had recently moved in together, according to Melanie Sammarco's family.

Schuyler and other members of Sammarco's friends and family were supposed to move some of the couple's belongings into a storage facility on Tuesday.

When they arrived at the couple's residence at 9 a.m., emergency workers who were still on scene told the group about the fire.

Standing outside of the Norwalk Police Department after an officer briefed them about their loved one's death, the group of Melanie Sammarco's family and friends remembered her as a "free spirit" who "had the heart of a kid."

"Everyone Melanie met or came into contact with became her friend," said her aunt Carol Sargent.

Melanie Sammarco was a world traveler who enjoyed meeting new people and was "all about positive energy," Sargent said.

"You could hug her and it was so warm that it would stay with you for hours," she said.